Clasp



D. M. GOODRICH 2,121,147

CLASP Filed July 11, 1936 DA W0 /Y GOODE/CH. INVENTOR.

BY v ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 11,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clasps, and this applicationconstitutes a continuation-impart of the division subject mattercontained in my co-pending application Serial No. 73,315 for Garmentsupporter, filed April 8, 1936.

One of the main features of this invention resides in a clasp which maybe releasably attached to the fabric of a shirt or other delicateflexible material without mutilating the same.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a clasp which consists ofa recessed body member and a key slidably insertible into the recess ofthe body member to securely grip a flexible material therebetween.Whereas, I am aware that clasps having sliding wedgekeys have beendevised, my improved clasp distinguishes thereover in a novel manner forthe reason that the key may be inserted into either end of the recess torender the same convenient for assembly and disassembly of the key andthe recess member by either a right or left handed person, especiallywhen the clasp is to be applied or removed froma shirt or other garmentwhen in position upon a wearer.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a clasp in which thegripping key may be locked against sliding movement with respect to thebody member to overcome any possibility of the accidental sliding of thekey member or body member relative to: each other which may be caused byside pulling strains imparted to the clasp.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a clasp having theabove mentioned feature of utility and construction which is, simple andinexpensive of manufacture, and which may be made of various materialsand designs to be attractive when displayed upon outer garment apparel.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the specification isproceeded with and read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved clasp used in associationwith a trousers supporter, the latter being shown in position upon awearer.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on the line 2--2of Figurel.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the clasp with the parts thereof inseparated condition.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of clasp with parts inseparated condition.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the 1936, Serial No. 90,069

clasp shown in Figure 4, but with the coacting parts in locked positionupon a piece of flexible material.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, and more particularlyto the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, thenumeral i0 designates my improved clasp-in its entirety, and which isshown in Figure 1 of the drawing as being used in connection with atrousers support H. The clasp member In is illustrated as being attachedto the exterior of a shirt 12 whereas the supporting means H suspendedfrom the clasp I0 is employed for supporting a pair of trousers l3.Although I have specifically illustrated the clasp ill asYbeing used forthe purpose above mentioned, it will be appreciated that the clasp IDhas many other uses, and I do not wish to restrict the invention to anyparticular use.

The clasp i0 includes a flat body, member M which is shown in thedrawing as being of a circular disklike shape and extending across oneof the flat faces of the body member is a recess I5, the side walls ofthe said recess being straight and parallel and undercut as at I6. Byextending the recess I5 entirely across the face of the body member l4,opposite ends of the recess open at opposite side edges of the bodymember for a purpose to be presently explained. While I have shown anddescribed the body memberv M as being of circular disk shape, it isobvious that the same may be elongated or other desired configurationwithout departing from the function of the same as will be hereinaftermore fully appreciated.

The body member l4 may be made of any composition of material, andvarious shapes or designs, and the circular disk-like shape illustratedin the drawing is but one example.

Releasably associated with the body member I4 is a key member I! havingstraight parallel beveled side edges Iii-l8. The key member 61 is awidth to freely slide into the recess it? with the beveled edges lB-l 8coacting with the undercut walls Iii-I6 of the recess for the purpose ofguiding the key member in its sliding movement and for preventinglateral separation of the key member and body member relative to eachother. The end edges l9l9 'of the key member I! are curved to conform tothe curvature of the peripheral edge of the body member l4, and the saidcurved edges l9--l9 are flush with the peripheral edge of the bodymember when the key member is fully inserted therein. The key member l1may be made of any suitable material and preferably of the same materialas that from which the body member I4 is constructed, in order that theappearance of the two members may coincide when in assembled relation.

When applying the clasp ID to one side of a piece of flexible materialsuch as the exterior of the shirt [2, the body member 14 is applied flatagainst the outside of the material with the recess I5 facing inwardly.The key member I I is applied to the inside of the material and theoperator after seating a portion of the material into the recess l 5proceeds to insert the key member l1 into the recess l5 through eitherend thereof. When the key member I! is fully inserted as shown in Figure2 of the drawing, that portion of the flexible material seated in therecess is securely gripped, thus the clasp member is in fastenedposition upon the shirt material.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that by havingthe recess l5 open at opposite ends of the body member I4 that the keymember I! may be conveniently inserted by either a right or left handeduser.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modified formof the invention wherein the same construction as previously describedis retained but in which a means is provided for locking the key memberI1 and body member l4 against movement relative to each other. Thelocking means includes a flat element 20 pivoted centrally of the diskbody M as at 2|. The opposite ends of the elements 20 are bent inwardlyto provide flanges 22 which overlie the peripheral edge of the bodymember I 4. The flanges 22 may be moved clear of opposite ends of therecess I5 by imparting a turning movement to the element 20 to enableinsertion of the key member I! or during its removal from the recess IE,but when the key member I! is in an inserted position within the recessI 5, the element 20 is turned so that the flanges 22 overlap the ends ofthe key member I I. With the element 20 in locking position, it will beappreciated that any strain upon the clasp which might tend to cause asliding movement of the body member l4 and key member I! relative toeach other is prevented.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the mostpractical embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood thatsuch changes and alterations as come within the scope of the appendedclaims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. A clasp member adapted to be detachably secured to one side of apiece of flexible material comprising a flat body having a recessextending the length of one side thereof, the walls of said recess beingparallel and undercut, said recess adapted to have one side of a portionof a piece of flexible material seated therein, and a flat key memberhaving straight parallel side edges slidable into said recess througheither end thereof and from the other side of a piece of flexiblematerial to clamp a portion thereof between said key member and thewalls of said recess, and means carried by said flat body for overlyingthe ends of said recess for releasably locking said key member againstsliding movement in either direction when the same is wholly insertedinto said recess.

2. A clamp comprising a body member having a recess extending the lengthof one side thereof, the opposed walls of said recess being parallel, akey member having parallel side edges slidable into said recess fromeither end thereof, and means pivotally carried by said body member andmovable over the ends of said recess for releasably locking said keymember against sliding movement relative to said body member when Whollyinserted within said recess.

3. A clasp comprising a disklike body member having a recess provided inone face thereof and extending entirely thereacross, the opposed wallsof said recess being parallel and undercut, a key member slidable intosaid recess from either end thereof and being of a length to extend thelength of said recess, said key member having parallel beveled sideedges for coacting engagement with the undercut walls of said recess,and a locking member pivoted centrally to the other face of saiddisklike body member and provided with inwardly extending elements atthe ends thereof which overlie the peripheral edge of said disklike bodymember for movement to a locking position in lapping relation to theends of said recess to prevent accidental sliding of said key memberrelative to said body member.

4. A clasp comprising a body member having a channel extending thelength of one side thereof, the opposed walls of said channel beingundercut, a key member slidable into said channel from either endthereof and being of a length ap- Droximating the length of saidchannel, said key member having parallel beveled side edges for coactingengagement with the undercut Walls of said recess, and a pivoted lockingmember mounted on said body member and provided with inwardly extendingelements at the ends thereof for overlying the ends of said channel whenthe same is turned to a position substantially parallel to the length ofsaid channel to prevent accidental sliding of said key member relativeto said body member.

5. A clasp comprising in combination, a pair of separable slidablyinterfitting members of substantially equal lengths adapted to grip aflexible material therebetween, said members being separable by slidingthe same in either of two directions, and a locking member pivoted toone of said members and provided with inwardly extending elements at theends thereof for overlying the ends of the other of said members toprevent accidental sliding of one member relative to the other. I

6. A clasp comprising in combination, a channeled member, a key memberslidably interfitting Within said channeled member and being ofsubstantially the same length and slidable into and out of either endthereof, and a locking member pivoted to one of the members and providedwith inwardly extending elements at the ends thereof for overlying theends of the channel of said channeled member to prevent accidentalsliding movement of one member relative to the other member.

DAVID M. GOODRICH.

